Bike Tour Reviews  page 97

  • Danube Bike and Boat
    (5/5) Brian Bronson August 4, 2022

    Far exceeds expectations

    · · Danube Discovery: Bike and Boat through Enchanting Capitals

    What a deal. 8days 7 nights w attentive staff. Amazing biking. Great food. Fun times. Would love to do it again w other friends. Highly recommend for a wonderful time on the Danube.

    What was the date of your tour?
    July 2022
    Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
    Somewhat easier
    Who is this tour suitable for?
    First-time bike tourists, Families with teens
    Do you recommend this tour?
    Yes
    Countries included in this tour?
    Austria, Germany, Hungary, Slovakia
    • 5/5 Value
    • 5/5 Included meals
    • 5/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 5/5 Hotels or boat
    • 5/5 Scenery
    • 5/5 Ease of navigation
    • 5/5 Tour documents
    • 5/5 Local tour company services
    • 5/5 Route selection
  • Algarve Coastal Route
    (4/5) Neil Gordon August 4, 2022

    A mixture of old and new

    · Algarve Coastal Route

    A very nice mixture of quaint fishing villages and modern tourist towns. The cycling is mostly a mixture of unpaved trails and back roads, but there is some heavily traveled roads to navigate. Hotels are all 4 and 5 star. Bikes are heavy, buy designed for terrain. Excellent support.

    What was the date of your tour?
    June 2022
    How many tours have you completed?
    7
    Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
    Somewhat harder
    Who is this tour suitable for?
    Solo travelers
    Do you recommend this tour?
    Yes
    Countries included in this tour?
    Portugal
    •  (photo by Neil Gordon)
    •  (photo by Neil Gordon)
    •  (photo by Neil Gordon)
    • 5/5 Value
    • 2/5 Included meals
    • 4/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 5/5 Hotels or boat
    • 4/5 Scenery
    • 4/5 Ease of navigation
    • 4/5 Tour documents
    • 5/5 Local tour company services
    • 4/5 Route selection
  • Venice to Mantova
    (5/5) Emil Barbosa and Debbie Gundersen August 4, 2022

    Absolutely Lovely

    · · Venice to Mantova by Bike and Boat (and reverse)

    Our boat was super comfortable! The food was outstanding. Our guides Elena and Alex we’re professional and fun. Easy riding with many unique stops along the way. We highly recommend this bike and boat tour!!

    What was the date of your tour?
    July 2022
    How many tours have you completed?
    10
    Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
    As expected
    Who is this tour suitable for?
    First-time bike tourists, Solo travelers
    Do you recommend this tour?
    Yes
    Countries included in this tour?
    Italy
    • 5/5 Value
    • 5/5 Included meals
    • 5/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 5/5 Hotels or boat
    • 4/5 Scenery
    • 5/5 Ease of navigation
    • 5/5 Tour documents
    • 5/5 Local tour company services
    • 5/5 Route selection
    • 5/5 Guides (if applicable)
  • Royal Zealand & Copenhagen
    (5/5) Mary Rankovich August 4, 2022

    Great trip in spite of challenges

    · Royal Zealand and Copenhagen

    We thoroughly enjoyed,this,trip in spite of illness, injury and weather challenges. While we were not able to complete the entire bicycle tour, the days we did ride were very good. The local tour company was outstanding, going above and beyond in time of need. While some hotels were better than others, all were very comfortable, and we had some outstanding meals along the way. Route guidance material was good, however the maps were a bit difficult to read because they were a bit small. We would definitely recommend this tour to others.

    What was the date of your tour?
    July 2022
    How many tours have you completed?
    8
    Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
    As expected
    Who is this tour suitable for?
    Families with teens
    Do you recommend this tour?
    Yes
    Countries included in this tour?
    Denmark
    • 4/5 Value
    • 5/5 Included meals
    • 5/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 5/5 Hotels or boat
    • 4/5 Scenery
    • 4/5 Ease of navigation
    • 4/5 Tour documents
    • 5/5 Local tour company services
  • Amsterdam to Bruges on Magnifique II
    (4/5) Thomas Kruse August 4, 2022

    Wonderful boat and great memories

    · · Amsterdam – Bruges by Bike and Boat – Magnifique II (and reverse)

    The boat and crew were terrific. The rides were really fun. We did not ride with the guides bu t the Ride with GPS worked really well. We thought the food was somewhat disappointing. Pretty unexciting. That's why 4 stars

    What was the date of your tour?
    June 2022
    How many tours have you completed?
    8
    Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
    As expected
    Who is this tour suitable for?
    First-time bike tourists, Solo travelers, Families with teens
    Do you recommend this tour?
    Yes
    Countries included in this tour?
    Belgium, Holland
    • 4/5 Value
    • 3/5 Included meals
    • 4/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 5/5 Hotels or boat
    • 5/5 Scenery
    • 5/5 Ease of navigation
    • 4/5 Tour documents
    • 5/5 Local tour company services
    • 5/5 Route selection
    • 5/5 Guides (if applicable)
  • Camino de Santiago: A Pilgrim’s Route
    (5/5) Matthew Rogers August 4, 2022

    Great adventure

    · Camino de Santiago: A Pilgrim’s Route From Astorga to Santiago

    So many great stops. Really loved Las Ferrerías even tho it’s the smallest town - low cultural interest but great people. Two improvements - for O Pino either stay in the town (rather than outside, we had to bike to dinner) or skip that stop. Would be a long day from Palas de Rei (another favorite) but might be worth it. Add another day/night in Santiago to make up for it. Loved Molinaseca - very lively town beach on the river. There are too many great memories to list here, but you guys really did a great job. O Cebreiro beautiful. The Galician castle detour highly recommended. I loved your throwback book of directions. Had to keep in our toes but getting lost sometimes is part of the fun. Going to hit you here with things to improve but it does not mean we did not enjoy our time. The bike I had was in terrible shape - your non e-bike fleet needs some help. By the way, you should tell people who are planning to not use ebikes that this is fairly strenuous! I’m a fairly strong cyclist and I was wasted after most days on the mechanical bike. Maybe it was the extreme heat though that made it seem tougher. Family loved the e-bikes, but the keys were broken, making it more difficult to charge at night. I think your mechanic in Astorga should have checked my back wheel better and should have had the tools to fix the key situation.

    Many thanks for a super memorable experience. Will recommend 100%!

    What was the date of your tour?
    July 2022
    How many tours have you completed?
    Over 10
    Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
    Much harder
    Who is this tour suitable for?
    First-time bike tourists, Solo travelers, Families with teens
    Do you recommend this tour?
    Yes
    Countries included in this tour?
    Spain
    • 5/5 Value
    • 5/5 Included meals
    • 2/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 4/5 Hotels or boat
    • 5/5 Scenery
    • 4/5 Ease of navigation
    • 5/5 Tour documents
    • 5/5 Local tour company services
    • 4/5 Route selection
  • Dolomites to Trieste
    (5/5) Thomas Albrecht August 4, 2022

    Beautiful, well-organized trip; good value for the money

    · Dolomites to Trieste via Lake Bled at the Foot of the Julian Alps

    We enjoyed our tour very much. We opted for the unguided version, which suits our tastes well, and found the maps provided to be good enough to guide us. The bikes were good quality and comfortable. The hotels varied, but we enjoyed them all and thought they were a good value for the price. The luggage service each day was perfect -- never late or unclear where to put the luggage for pickup.

    What was the date of your tour?
    July 1-8, 2022
    How many tours have you completed?
    1
    Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
    As expected
    Who is this tour suitable for?
    First-time bike tourists, Solo travelers, Families with teens
    Do you recommend this tour?
    Yes
    Countries included in this tour?
    Italy, Slovenia, Austria
    • 5/5 Value
    • 5/5 Included meals
    • 5/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 4/5 Hotels or boat
    • 5/5 Scenery
    • 4/5 Ease of navigation
    • 4/5 Tour documents
    • 5/5 Local tour company services
    • 5/5 Route selection
  • Cycling Spain's Ebro River
    (5/5) Andres Volosin August 4, 2022

    Bike kids bike!

    · Cycling Spain's Ebro River

    I was a great way to experience the Rioja area and great for our first bike trip with our kids.

    Countries included in this tour?
    Spain
  • Bike and Boat Croatia’s Dalmatia Coast
    (5/5) Kathy Flynn August 4, 2022

    Such a beautiful country

    · · Bike and Boat Croatia’s Dalmatia Coast

    This was such a fun trip for all our friends that joined on this adventure .

    How many tours have you completed?
    4
    Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
    As expected
    Who is this tour suitable for?
    Solo travelers, Families with teens
    Do you recommend this tour?
    Yes
    Countries included in this tour?
    Croatia
    • 5/5 Value
    • 5/5 Included meals
    • 5/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 5/5 Hotels or boat
    • 5/5 Scenery
    • 4/5 Ease of navigation
    • 5/5 Local tour company services
    • 5/5 Route selection
    • 5/5 Guides (if applicable)
  • Holland’s Southern Tour
    (5/5) Maureen Leugers August 4, 2022

    Fantastic Trip!

    · · Holland’s Southern Tour Bike and Barge

    This is a great way to see the country. The team was great, friendly, and helpful. The meals were wonderful. Our guide, Marjan, was calm, patient, and really knew the territory. I enjoyed the evening walks through the towns as she explained a bit about the history as well.

    What was the date of your tour?
    July 9-16 2022
    How many tours have you completed?
    this was my first bike tour
    Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
    Somewhat easier
    Who is this tour suitable for?
    First-time bike tourists, Solo travelers, Families with teens
    Do you recommend this tour?
    Yes
    Countries included in this tour?
    Holland
    • 5/5 Value
    • 5/5 Included meals
    • 5/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 4/5 Hotels or boat
    • 5/5 Scenery
    • 5/5 Ease of navigation
    • 5/5 Tour documents
    • 5/5 Local tour company services
    • 5/5 Route selection
    • 5/5 Guides (if applicable)
  • Split to Dubrovnik
    (5/5) Terry Whittaker August 4, 2022

    Croatia At Its Best

    · Split to Dubrovnik: The Islands and Coastline of Croatia

    Extremely well organized; guides were knowledgeable and clearly loved Croatia. Bikes were comfortable and the day trips offered stunning vistas. The lunch at the organic farm was like something featured in Bon Appetit. White water rafting was an added bonus. The boat crew were courteous and professional; room was small but comfortable. Nothing but positive memories.

    What was the date of your tour?
    July 2022
    How many tours have you completed?
    3
    Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
    Somewhat harder
    Who is this tour suitable for?
    First-time bike tourists, Solo travelers, Families with teens
    Do you recommend this tour?
    Yes
    Countries included in this tour?
    Croatia
    • 4/5 Value
    • 3/5 Included meals
    • 5/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 4/5 Hotels or boat
    • 5/5 Scenery
    • 5/5 Ease of navigation
    • 5/5 Tour documents
    • 5/5 Local tour company services
    • 5/5 Route selection
    • 5/5 Guides (if applicable)
  • Danube Experience
    (5/5) John McNeiece August 4, 2022

    Trip of a lifetime

    · · Danube Experience Bike and Boat Passau-Vienna-Budapest-Belgrade-Iron Gates-Passau

    We had been anticipating this trip for two years and it lived up to all our expectations and more. Riding bikes in 6 different countries over 14 days was amazing! The bikes were great. The boat was perfect. The staff was nothing but helpful and professional. We are already planning a follow-up tour. The folks at biketours.com did a great job with all the details!

    What was the date of your tour?
    June
    Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
    As expected
    Who is this tour suitable for?
    First-time bike tourists
    Do you recommend this tour?
    Yes
    Countries included in this tour?
    Austria, Croatia, Germany, Hungary, Serbia, Slovakia
    • 5/5 Value
    • 5/5 Included meals
    • 5/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 5/5 Hotels or boat
    • 5/5 Scenery
    • 5/5 Ease of navigation
    • 4/5 Tour documents
    • 5/5 Local tour company services
    • 4/5 Route selection
  • Danube Cycle Path
    (5/5) Gary Hirschkron August 4, 2022

    Gorgeous Trip!

    · Danube Cycle Path Passau – Budapest

    Absolutely glorious!

    Countries included in this tour?
    Austria, Germany, Hungary, Slovakia
  • Sweden’s West Coast
    (5/5) David Roberts August 4, 2022

    Great Bike Trip

    · Sweden’s West Coast: Helsingborg to Gothenburg

    Great route - well marked, easy to follow, mostly paths and safe (little "on-road" riding with very light traffic). Easy terrane with very manageable riding distances for most cyclist. Accommodations were clean, comfortable, friendly and above average, although not luxurious. Bikes were good quality and well maintained. Beautiful country and friendly people. I've done more than 20 European cycling tours and I'd rate this as very good value given the modest price point

    What was the date of your tour?
    July 2022
    How many tours have you completed?
    20
    Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
    Somewhat easier
    Who is this tour suitable for?
    First-time bike tourists, Solo travelers, Families with teens, Families with young kids
    Do you recommend this tour?
    Yes
    Countries included in this tour?
    Sweden
    • 5/5 Value
    • 4/5 Included meals
    • 5/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 4/5 Hotels or boat
    • 5/5 Scenery
    • 5/5 Ease of navigation
    • 5/5 Tour documents
    • 5/5 Local tour company services
    • 5/5 Route selection
  • Holland Bike & Boat Southern Tour
    (5/5) Joe Eberly August 4, 2022

    Great biking adventure

    · · Holland by Bike and Boat, Southern Tour

    Holland is a beautiful country and there is no better way to see it and experience it than on a bike. We have never been on bike paths like they have, whether in a city or the middle of nowhere. We had great food at our lunch stops and everyone we met, passengers, crew and the locals were friendly. The boat was really nice as were the bikes. We plan to do another trip with BikeTours.

    Countries included in this tour?
    Holland
  • Danube Bike and Boat
    (5/5) Hugh Larkin August 4, 2022

    2 Bucket list items completed

    · · Danube Discovery: Bike and Boat through Enchanting Capitals

    We have wanted to do a bike & boat tour as well as a bike tour along the Danube for many years (we previously did multi-week self-supported bike tours). In 2019, we thought we would be doing the latter for 2020, but a virus shut down everything. Even after the shutdown, BikeTours.com kept us informed and motivated about bike touring once a normalcy to life returned.

    In late 2021, when we could see travel was resuming, we began to look at various tours offered and found the Passau-Budapest-Passau boat & bike tour that fit very nicely into our developing "2022 grand Europe tour".

    BikeTours personnel quickly responded to all questions we had which made the booking extremely easy. And they and the tour operator provided us all the booking info before we departed for europe over a month before we were to experience this event.

    Once in Passau, and aboard ship (we were able to board early), we were able to unpack and relax. Our rented e-bikes were like new and were pre-adjusted to our heights. Instructions regarding operation and charging were clearly given.

    At all times, the crew was very courteous and helpful, which was extremely appreciated as we were the only "native-english" speakers onboard. The food was excellent and plentiful, and we appreciated the vegetarian options provided.

    Every day's itinerary was clearly provided, including detailed maps. The bikes worked wonderfully and provided us an opportunity to try an e-bike. We enjoyed the extra guided excursions into Bratislava and Vienna.

    Disembarking the Prinzessin Katherina was also painless. Before reaching Passau, the crew made taxi arrangements for us and many others. Hard to beat service like that!

    Overall, we had a wonderful tour. Plus we ticked off 2 b-list items. We are now wondering what will be our next BikeTours.com tour!

    What was the date of your tour?
    June 2022
    How many tours have you completed?
    12 (2 weeks to 4 months long)
    Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
    Somewhat easier
    Who is this tour suitable for?
    First-time bike tourists
    Do you recommend this tour?
    Yes
    Countries included in this tour?
    Austria, Germany, Hungary, Slovakia
    • 5/5 Value
    • 5/5 Included meals
    • 5/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 5/5 Hotels or boat
    • 5/5 Scenery
    • 4/5 Ease of navigation
    • 5/5 Tour documents
    • 5/5 Local tour company services
    • 5/5 Route selection
    • 5/5 Guides (if applicable)
  • Danube Bike Path
    (4/5) Susan and Roger Kelly August 4, 2022

    Awesome trip.

    · Danube Bike Path 7 Nights (Classic)

    Loved it but more km than we expected. Would have appreciated personal contact when we arrived but there was some confusion. Otherwise it was a beautiful way to experience Austria.

    Countries included in this tour?
    Austria, Germany
  • Munich & the Bavarian Lakes
    (5/5) Barak Dunayer August 4, 2022

    Excellent trip

    · Munich & the Bavarian Lakes

    It was a wonderful trip and a great way to experience the region. The trails were beautiful and the accommodations were quite charming. On a couple of occasions, the maps didn’t correspond exactly to the locations and in need of updating - meaning, the trail began or ended not exactly at the hotel. But overall, we had a wonderful experience and highly recommend this.

    What was the date of your tour?
    May-June 2022
    How many tours have you completed?
    3
    Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
    As expected
    Who is this tour suitable for?
    First-time bike tourists, Solo travelers, Families with teens
    Do you recommend this tour?
    Yes
    Countries included in this tour?
    Germany
    • 4/5 Value
    • 3/5 Included meals
    • 5/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 4/5 Hotels or boat
    • 5/5 Scenery
    • 4/5 Ease of navigation
    • 3/5 Tour documents
    • 3/5 Local tour company services
    • 5/5 Route selection
  • Sweden’s West Coast
    (5/5) Daniel Harrison August 4, 2022

    Beautiful Bicycling

    · Sweden’s West Coast: Helsingborg to Gothenburg

    I used BikeTours.com to book a memorable six-day, self-guided bicycling vacation in Sweden, where four members of my family travelled in late July 2022. The tour, named “Sweden’s West Coast: Helsingborg to Gothenburg,” provides a nice introduction to Sweden’s rural areas, towns, and the city of Gothenburg. Throughout our 242-mile journey, I was reminded of a popular nursery rhyme that begins “Jack be nimble, Jack be quick,” thanks to the excellent pre-trip support provided by our bikeTours.com trip consultant, Kirsten.

    Kirsten used her nimble planning skills to help us avoid unexpected logistical challenges with our tour. Multi-day concerts in Gothenburg meant most hotel rooms were booked well in advance, and Kirsten worked with us to devise alternative travel dates that made this trip feasible and affordable, with roofs over our heads. We spent each night in a different hotel, and check-in was always easy.

    She was quick to respond to my inquiries on a variety of issues, including preferred types of bicycles, location of our hotels, desire for non-smoking rooms, and access to map routes.

    The nursery rhyme ends with these words: “Jack jump over the candlestick.” On our bicycling vacation, we jumped numerous steams and other bodies of water on the well-maintained bridges on the national bike trail, the Kattegattleden. Mostly flat, the route is typically separate from roads, and traverses farmland and charming seaside towns along a pristine coast, ending each day’s journey at a centrally-located hotel.

    The final word in the rhyme is “candlesticks.” The design of many restaurants and hotels included lit candles, and contributed to the Scandinavian “hygge” lifestyle. The staff at places where we stayed and dined were welcoming and efficient, though none could hold a candle to the excellent service provided by Kirsten. (DH)

    What was the date of your tour?
    July 2022
    How many tours have you completed?
    8
    Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
    As expected
    Do you recommend this tour?
    Yes
    Countries included in this tour?
    Sweden
    • 5/5 Value
    • 5/5 Included meals
    • 5/5 Hotels or boat
    • 5/5 Scenery
    • 1/5 Guides (if applicable)